Power-transmission mechanism.



0* H, a; L. c. BLUMSTHOM.

POWER TRANSMISSION MECHANISM.

APPLI AHQN FILED JAN.B, I916 1,225,307. Patented May 8, 1917 2SHEETS-SHEET C. H. & L. C. BLUMSTROM.

POWER TRANSMISSION MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN- 8.1916.

Patented May 8, 191,.

2 SHEETS--SHEET 2 WITNESSES: XJWWM 7/ A HORNE) STATES PATENT omen.

cm H. BLOMS'IROM AND LOWELL c. nnoms'rnom, o1 nn'mou, urolneanfTOWER-TRANSMISSION MECHANISM.

i United States of America, residing at De 'troit, in the county of\Vayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Power-Transmission Mechanisms, of which the following'isa ecification.

his invention relates to power transmission mechanism especiallyadaptedfor driv ing motor vehicles, and it consists in the novelfeatures of construction and association of parts as hereinafter setforth and claimed. 1

The invention has for its object the provision of simple and improvedmeans-for transmitting and ap 'flying the power of the engine fordriving motor vehicles, wherein the general. construction is such as toreduce to a minimum the number of 0perative parts essential toelficiency and to enable the assembling and combining of the severalpower units consisting of clutch mechanism, transmission, change speedand difl'erential"gearing, together with the en gine in a compact groupwithin ansingle inclosing case, and wherein the arrangement issuch thatthe .n'mster gear of the differential is utilized for establishing thedriving "connection between the main power shaft and the munter-shaft ofthe change Speed gears through which the power is transmitted atvariable speeds to the shaft sections of the differential, and also forcllectinQ a direct driving connection between the di erential shaftsand;said main shaft, whereby said master gear is constantly driven at afixed ratio with the speed of the engine irrespective of the reductionsin speed at which the power is transmitted through the differentialshafts to move the load. In this way the master gear is caused to floatwhen idle and is therefore always under motion when receiving the load,thus tooth strain and frictional resistance upon this gear, whichnormally is subjected to-the heaviest direct .driving strain ismaterially reduced and greater el'liciency in the transmission of thepower is attained.

In the accompanyi-ng drmvings is shown ap'referred form of embodiment ofthe essential Natures of the present invention, andin which, a a

Figure 1 is a vertical serlioi'ml Front end i a Specification of LettersPatent.

clutch yoke 21- carried on a shaft '22 which Patented May 8, 19 17Application meq January a, 1918. Serial in. 70,960.

elevation of the'engine casing showing the transmission and diflerentialgearing carranged in driving engagement with the power shaft of theengine withina gear case, extension on the en he casing. H

Fig. 2 is a vertica sectional side elevation of the front portion of theengine casing. and gear case containing the differential andtransmission gearinghaving portions" of the casing and gears brokenawayto '65 show the relative arrangement of parts;-

Referring to the parts of the mechanism by the characters of referenceon the several views of the drawings, 1 designates theengine casing and2 a gear case extenlo sion which is preferably detachably' se cured tothe end of the engine casingcojntaining the fly wheel by bolts as at 3.'lhe forward end of the gear case 2 is provided with a detachableclosure or cap 4 having a flange 5 secured to a flange 6 on said case bybolts 7 as shown in Fig. 2. Mounti ed on the end of the crank-shaft 8 ofthe engine within the casing 1 is th'epflyp wheel 9; and containedwithin the body of the fly wheel is a common form of disk.- clutch 10,the driven member 11 of which is rigidly mounted on a. shaft section12;,

constituting the main driving shaftyand which is journaled in axiala'linement with the crank shaft'i? to rotate at its inner end in abearing 13 mounted in the'hllb ofthe. fly wheel 9 and at its outer endin a bearing 14- mounted in the cap 4 of thegear case 2. The thrustplate 15 of the clutch which establishes the driving engagement betweenthe flywheel and the main ol' klriven shaft 12, is normally held engagedwith the disks of the clutch under the tension ofi coiled springs 16which bear againstthe member 11 and are confineduponstuds 17"anchoieinthe thrust plate 15 and slidably extend ed through said member.

A collar 18 formed on the plate 15 receives a screw-threaded shoulderedbushing 1-) which slidably elIllH'dlCQS the shaft 12 and i rotatablycarries between its shoulder and said collar a thrust bearing ringilt).Be mg against the inner face of said ring a journaled in the casing 2,and which is adapted for connertion in the usualway w th a suitable footlever orpedal, by means of which said yoke may be swung against thebearing dang to withdraw the thril stu o plate and' release the clutch,as will be read- 11y understood by reference to Fig. 2.

Positioned within the forward end of the casing 2, at right-anglesto andbeneath the main shaft 12, are two axially alined sleeve Sections 23and24 which are journaled at opposite ends in bearings 25 and26,respectively, mounted in opposite walls of said casing. The inner endsof these sleeves are srovided with enlarged hollow meeting anges securedtogether by bolts as at 27 to form a housing 28 within which iscontained a common form of difi'erential gearing 29 connecting the innerends of shaft sections 30 and 31 which are journaled, respectively,

in the sleeves 23 and 24;. said shaft sections extending at their outere'nds through the walls of the casing 2 are adapted for connection withsuitable shafts for distributing driven.

Rotatably embracin the sleeves 23 and 24 upon opposite sides 0 thedifferential housing 28 are flanged collars 32 and 33, ctively the;latter of which is provide at its hub with a pinion gear 34, androtatably embracing this housing and confined between said collarsbybolts as at 35, is a worm ear ring 36'which meshes with a worm pin-1011 37, fixed upon the main shaft 12. his ring,. which forms the mainor master gear of the differential upon the sleeve of which it normallyfloats or runs idle, is constantly driven through the worm at areduction of speed to that of the main shaftand serves to transmitmotion from said shaft to a countor-shaft 38, which shaft is suitablyjournaled to rotate in adjacent parallel relation to the sleeves of thedifferential in bearings.

1n" the casing 2, and carries a gear 30 in mesh with the pinion 34through which said counter-shaft is continuously driven at a reduced ssad to that of said master gear.

' Fixe upon this counter-shaft is a series of changespeed gears 40, 41and 42 of.ldif ferent sizes and meshing with the'gear 42 is a reversinggear 43w i the usual way upon-a stud anchored in the casing2. 'Drivmgconnections for transmitting motion through these gears from thecounter-shaft to the differential shaft sections 30 and 31 at variablespeeds and in forward and reverse directions, and for establish'ing adirect driving engagement with these-shafts through the-master gear, areeffected by means of a pair of.s lid1ng gears .44 and 45 which aresplined to rotate with i and to-slide upon the sleeves 23 and 24, re- -sactively, of the differential liousin vmo The siding gear 45 is actuatedby a rod 46 fitted to slide through a bearing 47 on the casing 2 andcarries at its inner end a yokearm 48' which is received ina'periphv-eral groove 49 formed in, the hub upon one side of said gear,in the opposite face of low speed to the differential and applyingthepower to the wheels to be ch'is journaled in' which is formed aninternal gear or series of teeth 50 adapted to register and interlockwith the teeth of the pinion 34 in the man- 1 transmitted to saiddifferential shafts at a reduced speed. i

The sliding gear 44, which isadapted to be shifted to mesh with thegear'41, of the counter-shaftfor transmitting the power at shafts, andwith t e gear 43 for, reversing the direction of the drlve of saidshafts, isactuatedby a yoke arm 51 which freely engages in a pcripheralgroove 52 formed in the hub of said gear and is fixed upon the, end ofapush rod 53 which is supported to slide through a'bearing54 on thecasing 2. The" outer end of this rod is connected by an arm 55 with theend of a'connecting push rod 56 which extends parallel with the rod 53.through. bearings 57, 58 and59 on the casing 2 and terminates in linewith the outer end of the push rod 46. These push rods are actuated toprovide a selective control a for shifting the sliding gears means of acontrol rod 60. mounted to rotate and to slide at right angles tothepush rods 46 and 56 in a bearing bracket 61 secured to the casing 2between the ends of said rods, and which hasfixed thereon upon oppositesides of said bracket reversely opposed crank arms 62 and 63, eachcarrying a pin or stud,

54 adapted for respective engagement ,alternately with'a slot 65 formedvertically in the meeting face of head 66 secured to the outer end ofeach of said rods. The studs of the crank arms are normally disengaged.

with the slots of the respective heads of the push rods 46 and56.andthese rods are normally held against longitudinal movement to retaintheir respective-sliding gearsat neutral or out of driving engagement,by means of right angled latch bolts 67 which are seated in bores toproject at one end each from opposite faces ofthe bracket 61 inproximity to theinner'face of the adjacent crank-arm with which they areadapted to engage and to extend at-their opposite laterally projectingends 68 into slots 69 formed in the back faces of the respective headsof said push rods and in. which said bolts are normally held to lock therods and' to recede under the tension of coiled springs, as indicated at70 in Fig. 2. a

By this arrangement as the control rod is moved longitudinally in eitherdirection to establish anroperative connectionwith either of the pushrods 46 and 56, through the engagement of the stud of the crank armwith-the head of the pushrod, said arm will be caused to en age andforce the latch bolt to recede from ocked engagement with said headsimultaneouslywit the entrance of its stud into the slot of said head,thus releasing the push rod and effecting a pivotal connection with thecranlc arm, which, through a swinging ,movement 1m arted thereto byrocking the control ro will transmit longitudinal movement to the push vrod thus selected, and actuate said rod in A transmitting gear throughwhich the power of the engine is transmitted directly atvhigh speed andindirectly at lower speeds to the difierential or driven shafts.

We claim 1. In a power transmission mechanism, a casing, a main shaftadaptedfor driving engagement with an engine, a pinion there on, asleeve journald in saidcasing and having an enlarged portion forming agear housing, shaft sectionsjournaled in'said sleeve, difierenti'algearing incloscd by said housing. and connected in driving engagementwith said shaft sections, a gear ring embracing and bearingcircumferentially on said enlarged cation of said housing and meshingwith-t 1c pinion of saidmain shaft, and clutch mechanism operablycarried on said'sleeve and coiiperatmg with said gear ring forestablishing 'adirect driving connection between said main shaft andsaid.

'sha-ft sections through said differential gearing.

2. In a power trans'mi ion mechanism, a casing, a'main shaft a apted fordriving engagement with an engine, apinion thereon, a sleevejournaled'insaid casing and having an enlarged portion'forming a gearhousing, shaft sections journalcd in said "sleeve, differentialgea-ring'i'nclosedby said housing and connected in driving engagementwlth said shaft sections, a gear ring embracing and bearingcircumfercntially on said enlarged portion of said housing and ringmeshing with the pinion gear of-sai'd main shaft, and clutch mechanismopcrably married on said sleeve and coiiperating 'with overlapping thesides of the same, said'gear in connection between said main shaft andsaid shaft sections through said differential gearing.

3. In a power transmission mechanism, a casing, a main shaft adapted fordriving engagement with an engine and a pinioncarried thereon, a sleeveournaled in said casing and forming a gear housin shaft sectionsjournaled in said sleevefdi erential gearing in said housing andconnected in driving engagement wit 1' said shaftsections, acountershaft journaled in said casing, transmitting gears of varyingsizes carried thereby, a gear ring rotatably embracing said housing andin driving engagement with said pinion, a pinion thereon in mesh with agear of saidcountershaft, and a slidable gear mounted on said sleeve andoperatively arranged for locking engagement with the pinion of said gearring and for direct engagement with a gear of said countershaftfortransmitting motion either countershaft to said shaft sections.

4. In a power transmission mechanism, a casing, a main shaft adapted fordriving engagement with an engine and'a pinion carried thereon, a sleevejournaled in said casing and forming a gear housin shaft sectionsjournaled in said sleeve, di erential' gearing mounted 111 said housingand connected in driving engagement with said shaft sections, acountershaft'journaled in said housing, transmitting gears of varying ior transmitting motion either directly from said gear ring orthi'oughsaid'countershaft to said shaft sections. 7

5. In a power transmission mechanism, a main shaft adapted'for drivingengagement with-an engine and a pinion carried thereon a sleevestructure, shaft sections journal in said sleeve structure,-differentialgearing carried by said sleeve structure and connected in drivingengagement with said shaft sections, a countershaft, transmittin gearsof various .sizes'on said countersha a. gear ring in mesh with saidpinion and a pinion thereon in mesh with a gear on said countershaft, aslidable gear mounted on said sleeve structure and movable into and outof engagementwith a gear on directly from said. gear ring or throughsaid main shaft adapted for releasable driving connection with an engineand a pinion carried thereon, a sleeve structure, shaft sectionsjournaled in. said sleeve structure, differential gearing carried bysleeve Structure and. connected in driving engagement with said shaftsections, a counten shaft, transmission gears of varying sizes, on saidcountershaft, a gear ring in mesh with the pinion of said main shaft anda pinion thereon in mesh with a gear on said countershaft, and a shdahlegear on said sleeve structure movable in one "direction for drivingengagement with a gear on said countershai't and having teeth forinterlocking engagement with teeth on d. pinion of said gear ringthrough movement in the opposite direction.

7. In a power transmission mechanism, a main shaft adapteddise'ugageabie driv ing connection with an engine, a pinion on said mam.shaft, a sleeve structure, shaft sections journaled in said sleevestructure, differential gearing carried by said sleeve structureconnected in driving engage ment with said shaft sections, acountershaft, transmission gears of Varying sizes on said countershaft,a main gear rotatably mounted on said sleeve structure and in mesh withthe pinion of said main shaft, a pinion carried by said. main gear inmesh with a gear on'said. countershait, a clutch gear slidably mountedon said sleeve structure and movable in one direction for drivingengagement With a'gear on said countershaft and in the oppositedirection for inter-- locking engagement with said main gea'rt '8. Thecombination of a main driving shaft and a pinion thereon,- a carryingstructure, shaft sections. carried bysaid structure, differentialgearing also carried *by said structure and connected. in driving 3engagement. with said shaft 'sections,'- a

countershaft, transmitting gears on said countershaft, a master gear forthe 'difler en'tialgearing rotatably mounted 'in driving engagement withthe pinion on the im in ,nected in driving engagement wi .shaft and witha gear on said countershaft, and a slidable gear operatively connectedto said structure und'movable into and "out of engagement .with a gear,on said countershaft and into and out of driving connection with saidmaster gear..

9. In powertrans'mission mechanism for motor vehicles, the combinationof a; shaft,

a main gear driven therefrom,'wheel-drivi-ng shaft sections,differential gearin 'consaid shaft'sections, a counter-shaft,speed-vcrying gearing on'said countershaft, a'slidin gear rotating atthe same speed as said di erential gearing and in driving connectiontherewith, a'ndimeans for rotating said slidin gear from the main gearthrough the speed varying countershaft gearing.

10. In 1 oWer transmission mechanism for motor vs ,1 les, thecombination ofa shaft,

a main ear, driven therefrom wheel-driv ting shaftsections,difi'erential gearing connected in dri ging engagement with said shaftsectionsh countershaft, speed-varying gearing on saidshaft, a slidi'ngear -ro tat ing at thesame speed as sai ,dlfierential gearing and indrivin connection there--- with, said sliding gear ing adapted to bedriven either directly "from the main' gear or through the medium of'thespeed -varying I countershaft gearing. I

'11. In a power transmitting mechanism for motor vehicles, thecombination of 'a driving shaft, differentialgearing, a housingtherefor, a master gear rotatably mounted thereon and in engagement withsaid driving shaft, wheel'drivmg shaft sections operatively connectedthrough said difi'er-' entia-l gearing with said gearhousi and speedvarying gearlng engageahlewi said tahlishing dri ing driving shafta'iidsaid shaft-sections In testimony Whereat, wehave signedthisspecification. j. v

- CARL" H. BLOMSTBOM."

LOWELLQ. BLOMST I QQM:

'master gear and-with said housing for es- 'on'nection .between said'

